Belt buckle



Apr. 24, 1923.

S. M. RIKER B,ELT BUCKLE;

Filed Aug; 15

Patented Apr. 24, 1923,-

- UNITED STATES SAMUEL M. BIKER, OF'CHESTEB/NEW JERSEY..

BELT BUCKLE.

Application led. August15, 1922:l Serial No. 581,996.

, l To all whom t mayl concern.'

", companying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form aspart `Be it ,known'thatL`SAMUEL kM. RIKR, a

fcitizen 'of theUnited States, residing at l Chester, in the county of ,Morris and-State of New Jersey, have' invented certain new and useful kImprovements in Belt Buckles,

and I ,d0 hereby` declare thefollowing to bey a fulhclear, and exact description of the invention, such ask will'enable others skilled Vin the art to which it appertains to'make and use the same, reference being had to the a'cof, thisr specification. l

This'iiiventioii has reference, generally, to

v iniprov'ements inlbelt buckles; and the invention relates 'to a novel construction of plate buckle havinga detachable gripping or clampingjmeans slidably related tothe main body thereof,and` to which one end of the belt is iXcdg-said gripping or clamping meansbeing held injgripping relation to tlie adjustable endof'the belt by the longitudinal strain or pull to vwhich the latter is subjected when inoperative encircling relation to the waist ofthe wearer.l

The invention has forits, principal object to lprovide a very 'simple construction of ,plate belt buckle consisting of a main. body anda slidable gripping or v.clamping element separable from said main body, whereby the i adjustable end of the belt may be once ad-y justed relative to the main body,y and' thereafter the belt may be taken on and off by merely irianipulatingv the separable vgripping or clamping element to attach -or detach the saine from operative relation to said'lmain body; said gripping -or clamping element,

.when attached. to the main body, being adapted to automatically slide tliereonlinto .operative gripping or clampingrelation to the adjustable end of the, belt, to securely hold the latter against displacement while around the person of the wearer.

`Other objectsfof this invention, not at this :time more particularly enumerated, will be learly understood yfrom the following deailed :description of the same.

Vith the various ob'ects of fsetiforthf; and .the invention consists, furtherthis' invention -i -ii`,view, the saine` cons1sts,;primarily, in the novel constructionv of belt buckle hereinafter 's described in the following specification, and

then finally embodiedin the claimsappended thereto. Y

vThe inventionis clearly illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure l is a `front face view ofthe novel buckle with the `belt operatively yconnected therewith; Figure 2 is a front fa'ceview of the novel buckle as related to thebelt, but showing the gripping or clamping element detached or separated from the mainbody of the` buckle, whereby 7the belt 4rends are separated to permit-the attachment or 'detachment of the belt relative to the waist of the wearer; 'Figure is a longitudinalv section taken on line 34-3 in Figure 1; lFigure t. is

7a transverse'section, taken on line 4 4 lin Figure 3; and Figure 5 is afperspective view showing the buckle with the gripping or clamping element separatedgfromthe Amain views. to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring 'now to said drawings, thenovel l.

belt buckle v comprises a; main ,body yconsisting `of a face oi' front plate 6, having at its longitudinal edges side flanges 7. Provided in said face or frontplate 6 adjacentlto its rearward end is a transverse slot or belt passage 8, and adjacent to ifits'forward end is'another transverse slot or belt passage 9. Pressed out of thebody of said face or front plate 6, at a l'point intermediate the slots or belt passages S and 9, is` an inwardly projected post l0, having at its free inward end aT-head providing shoulders l1 vat opposite sides `of the post, which shoulders are spaced away from the-inner surface of said' face or front plate 6. lAlso pressednout of the body of said face or front plate 6, rearward of said post l0, is aninwardly projected stopllug l2.

The separablegrippingor clamping element comprises aclampf-plate 13, the forward transverse edge of whicli'is provided with a plurality of gripping 'serratioi'is 14. yThe rearward end otsaid clamp-.platemay be doubledinwardly andback., upon;A itself as at l'if desired,y so` as'k to .be spaced inwardlyfrom the main portioirof theclamj plate. vThe body ofsaidclainp-plate13 is 4provided witha suitably' dispo'sedlopening 16, Connected p integrally with said; clamp! plate 13 at the "rearward edgek of; said 'opening .16," and sofasut'oI ,extend forward from the latter, are a pair of spring fingers 17 which are laterally separated or spaced so that at a proper time the post of the main body of the buckle may pass between the same. Said spring fingers 17 terminate short of the forward edge of said opening 16 so as to provide'a free transverse space of suiiicient area to permit the T-head of thepost to be inserted therethrough past the ends of said spring fingers, Said spring lingers 17 are each provided upontheir inner faces, adjacent to their free ends, with stop-tits 18. Suitable means are provided in connection with the clamp-plate 13 for affixing or attaching thereto one end of a belt 19. Such means may be made in various ways. Illustrative of one form of such .attaching means is a lever clamp device as shown yin the drawings, which device consists of a pair of perforate bearing ears 2O turned inwardly from each side of said clamp-plate 13 adj acent to its forward transverse edge. Pivotally` supported between said perforate j bearing ears 20, is a clamp device 21 having at its respective ends trunnions or journals 1 22 which are engaged in the perforations of larm 24 of the said bearing ears 20. The lower free edge of said clamp-device 21 is provided with-a plurality of sharp gripping spurs 3, and eX- tending rearwardly from the upper edge of said clamp-device 21 is a lever-arm 24. The end 25 of the belt 19, which is to be affixed to the separable gripping or clamping element, is inserted between the clamp-plate 13 and the clama device 21 when the leveratter is raised to turn the gripping spurs 23 in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the clamp-plate 13, whereupon the lever-arm 24 is turned down to thereby force the said gripping spurs 23 into biting and gripping relation to said belt end 25, as is most clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. In order to hold 'the lever-arm 24 in downwardly folded position and against displacement, the `free end of the same may be provided with downwardly curved catch-lips or lugs 26 which are adapted to snap over the rounded porv tion 27 of the doubled back end of said clamp-plate 13.

The free or adjustable end 28 of the belt 19 is inserted under the rearward transverse end ofthe face or front plate 6 to pass outwardly through the rearward slot or belt passage 8, then longitudinallyv across the outer face of front plate 6, and thence inwardly through the forward slot or belt passage 9 to issue forwardly from the opposite `end of said front plate. If desired the rearward edge portion of said forward slot or belt passage 9 may be provided with a plurality of serrations 29 which tend to prevent accidental .withdrawal of the belt from the main body of the buckle. c

In applying the belt to the waist of the wearer, the separablev gripping or Clamping element is separated from the main body of the buckle, and the belt 19 is arranged about the waist, whereupon the gripping or clamping element and the main body of the buckle are again brought together so that the T- head of the post 10 connected with the front or faceplate 6 may be caused to enter through the opening'16 of the clamp-plate 13 at a point forward of the ends of the spring fingers 17. A forward longitudinal pull upon the clamp-plate 13 will thereupon slide the same forward relative to the main buckle body to cause its gripping serrations 14to move into gripping engagement with the free end portion of the belt 19, to clamp the latter between said serrations 14 and the forward edge of said forward slot or belt passage 9 of the main buckle body. lThe forward sliding movement of said clampplate willy also cause the spring fingers 17 to move forward on opposite sides of the post 10, which in turn causes the stop-tits 18 to spring or snap past the shoulders 11 of the T-head of the post 10, so as to locate the former at the forward side of the latter, in which position they serve to prevent accidental retraction of the clamp-plate 13 from operative belt end engaging position. The belt may be adjusted, if necessary, by moving the free end thereof forwardly relative to the main buckle body until the desired tension around the waist is established, under such manipulation the clamp-plate 13 being retracted sufficiently to release the serrations 14 thereof from operative gripping relation to the belt end. The desired tension, thus established, will always operate to pull the clamp-plate 13 forward so that the bite of the serrations 14 is maintained while the belt is worn. After an initial ad justment of the belt to the waist of the wearer, it is unnecessary to disturb the adjusted relation established between the free end port-ion of the belt and the main buckle body, since to remove the belt from the wearers waist all that is necessary to be done is to push back the clamp-plate 13, until its rearward end is stopped by the stop-plug 12 of the main buckle body, whereby the clamp-plate is positioned so that the spring-fingers 17 and their stop-tits 18 have been retracted from beneath. the shoulders 11 of the T-head of the post 10, and said T-head is alined with the open Space 16, so that the main buckle body and clamp-plate 13 may be separated to part the respective ends of the belt. To replace the belt on the wea-rers waist the operations thus effected are reversed.

From the above description it will be plain that the novel buckle structure above described is of exceedingly simple construction, comprised of few parts, and subject to a quick and easy manipulation fo'r'the purpose of taking on and olf the belt connected therewith from the waist of the wearer.

I 'am aware that some changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

l. A belt buckle comprising a face plate, transversely slotted adjacent to its respective ends for threading the free end of a belt adjustably therethrough, a post projecting inwardly from the inner face of said face plate intermediate said slots, a clamp plate detachably engageable with said post and longitudinally slidable relative to said face plate and means on said post and said clamp plate for retaining the latter in operative attached relation to said face-plate, and means for attaching the fixed end of a belt to said clamp plate.

2. A belt buckle comprising a face plate transversely slotted adjacent to its respective ends for threading the free end of a belt adjustably therethrough, a T-head post projecting inwardly from the inner face of said face plate intermediate said slots, a' clamp plate detachably engageable with said post, and longitudinally slidable relative to said face plate and its post, said clamp plate having means cooperating with the lateral projections of said T-.head post for retaining the .clamp plate in operative attached relation to said face-plate, and means for attaching the fixed end of a belt to said clampplate.

3. A belt buckle comprising a face plate transversely slotted adjacent to its respective ends for threading the free end of a beltadjustably therethrough, a T-head post projecting inwardly from the inner face of said faceplate intermediate said slots, a clamp its post, mutually cooperative' operative means plate having an opening therein to receive said T-h'ead post for the separable engagement thereof with said face plate, said opening being restricted at its rearward end to straddle the shank of said post, said clamp plate being longitudinally slidable relative to said face plate and its post, and mean's for attaching the fixed end of a belt to said clamp-plate.

4. A belt buckle comprising a face plate transversely slotted adjacent to its respective ends for threading the free end of a belt adjustably therethrough, a T-head post projecting inwardlyk from the inner face of said face plate intermediate said slots, a clamp plate having an opening therein to receive said T-head post for the separable engagement thereof with said face plate, said clamp plate being longitudinally slidable relative to said face plate and its post, laterally spaced spring fingers projecting forwardly into said opening from the rearward margin thereof, said spring fingers having stop-tits adapted to snap beneath and past the lateral projections of said T- head When said clamp plate is slid operatively forward, and means for attaching the v ixed end of a belt to said clamp plate.

5. A belt buckle comprising va 'face plate transversely slotted adjacent to its respective ends for threading the free end of a belt adjustably therethrough, a clamp plate separable from said face-plate, mutually coon said face plate and said clamp plate for slidably relating the latter to the former, said clamp-plate having a plurality of gripping serrations. at its forward edge, a stop-post connected with said face plate for determining the rearwar limit of movement of said clamp plate relative to said face plate, and means for attaching the fixed end of a belt to said clamp plate.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of August, 1922.

sAMUL M. Birnen.

Witnesses: kFREDK. C. FRAENTZEL,

EVA E. DESCH. 

